The Story of Gilgamesh--Mesopotamian Values

Unlike the waters of the beneficent Nile, whose annual floods were predictable and controllable, those of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers proved erratic and often devastating.
This factor, combined with the harshness of the physical terrain, the absence of protective natural barriers, and the steady intrusion of invaders who used the element of
surprise, superb leadership, and technological advantage to gain temporary hegemony over the region, prompted a pessimistic outlook that found expression in the eclectic
civilization that evolved in ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerians, whose creative genius provided the cultural foundations of the region, perceived humans as lowly mortal
servants to a pantheon of immortal gods and goddesses, and they viewed the miserable state of humanity as a consequence of human failure to obey divine commands.
These views, frequently reiterated in the literature of the region, are best expressed in the great Babylonian heroic tale, The Gilgamesh Epic. This poem was preserved in 12
tablets that were recovered during nineteenth-century excavations of Ashurbanipal's (668-627 B.C.E.) palace library in Nineveh, It is the first known piece of written literature.
Heavily indebted to a variety of older oral stories, the epic describes the vain quest of its hero, Gilgamesh (ca. 2800 B.C.E.), fifth ruler of the first dynasty of Uruk, to
secure immortality. By recounting the perilous ventures and hardships of Gilgamesh, the poem reaffirms that valiant personal efforts cannot prevent one's inevitable death
and suggests that energy should instead be directed toward enjoying and making the most of life. During his quest, Gilgamesh sought and found Pernapishtim, the
Babylonian Noah, who had secured immortality because of his piety. Tablet XI focuses on their meeting and provides Per-napishtim's account of the great deluge. A genetic
relationship between his account and that of the Hebrews in Genesis is obvious, but the historical relationship between them is uncertain.
Epic literature developed in many early civilizations-not only that of Mesopotamia, but also in Hebrew, Greek, and Indian cultures. How would tales like Gilgamesh help
shape and express a civilization's values? What purpose did these stories serve?

[From the shore Per-napishtim, the favourite of the gods, now relates the story of the deluge to the hero, who, sitting in his ship, is listening to him.]
Per-napishtim then said unto Gilgamesh:
"I will reveal unto thee, 0 Gilgamesh, the mysterious story,
and the mystery of the gods I will tell thee.
The city of Shurippak, a city which, as thou knowest,
is situated on the bank of the river Euphrates.
That city was corrupt, so that the gods within it
decided to bring about a deluge, even the great gods,
as many as there were: their father, Anu-,
their counsellor, the warrior Bel;
their leader, Ninib;
their champion, the god En-ui-gi.
But Ea, the lord of unfathomable wisdom, argued with them.
Their plan he told to a reed-hut, (saying):
'Reed-hut, reed-hut, clay structure, clay structure!
Reed-hut, hear; clay-structure, pay attention!
Thou man of Shurippak, son of Ubara-Tutu,
Build a house, construct a ship; -

Forsake thy possessions, take heed for thy life!

Abandon thy goods, save (thy) life,
and bring living seed of every kind into the ship.
As for the ship, which thou shalt build,
let its proportions be well measured:
Its breadth and its length shall bear proportion each to each,
and into the sea then launch it.'
I took heed, and said to Ea, my lord:
'I will do, my lord, as thou hast commanded;
I will observe and will fulfil the command.
But what shall I answer to (the inquiries of) the city, the
people, and the elders?'
Ea opened his mouth and spoke,
and he said unto me, his servant:
'Man, as an answer say thus unto them:
"I know that Bel hates me.
No longer can I live in your city;

Nor on Bel's territory can I live securely any longer;

I will go down to the 'deep,' I will live with Ea, my lord.
Upon you he will (for a time?) pour down rich blessing.
He will grant you fowl [in plenty] and fish in abundance,
Herds of cattle and an abundant harvest.
Shamash has appointed a time when the rulers of darkness
at eventide will pour down upon you a destructive rain."'
All that was necessary I collected together.
On the fifth day I drew its design;
In its middle part its sides were ten gar high;
Ten gar also was the extent of its deck;
I added a front-roof to it and closed it in.
I built it in six stories,
thus making seven floors in all;
The interior of each I divided again into nine partitions.
Beaks for water within I cut out.
I selected a pole and added all that was necessary.
Three (variant, five) shar of pitch I smeared on its outside;
three shar of asphalt I used for the inside (so as to make it water-tight).
Three shar of oil the men carried, carrying it in vessels.
One shar of oil I kept out and used it for sacrifices,
while the other two shar the boatman stowed away.
For the temple of the gods (?) I slaughtered oxen;
I killed lambs (?) day by day.
Jugs of cider (?), of oil, and of sweet wine,
Large bowls (filled therewith?), like river water (i.e., freely) I poured out as
libations.
I made a feast (to the gods) like that of the New-Year's Day.
To god Shamash my hands brought oil.
[***] the ship was completed.
[***] heavy was the work, and
I added tackling above and below, [and after all was finished]
The ship sank into water two thirds of its height.
With all that I possessed I filled it;
with all the silver I had I filled it;

with all the gold I had I filled it;

with living creatures of every kind I filled it.
Then I embarked also all my family and my relatives,
cattle of the field, beasts of the field, and the uprighteous people-all them
I embarked.
A time had Shamash appointed, (namely):
'When the rulers of darkness send at eventide a destructive rain,
then enter into the ship and shut its door.'
This very sign came to pass, and
The rulers of darkness sent a destructive rain at eventide.
I saw the approach of the storm,
and I was afraid to witness the storm;
I entered the ship and shut the door.
I intrusted the guidance of the ship to Purur-bel, the boatman,
the great house, and the contents thereof
As soon as early dawn appeared,
there rose up from the horizon a black cloud,
within which the weather god (Adad) thundered,
and Nabu and the king of the gods (Marduk) went before.
The destroyers passed across mountain and dale (literally, country).
Dibbara, the great, tore loose the anchor-cable (?).
There went Ninib and he caused the banks to overflow;
the Anunnaki lifted on high (their) torches,
and with the brightness thereof they illuminated the universe.
The storm brought on by Adad swept even up to the heavens,
and all light was turned into darkness.
[
] overflooded the land like * * *
It blew with violence and in one day (?) it rose above the mountains
Like an onslaught in battle it rushed in on the people.
Not could brother look after brother.
Not were recognised the people from heaven.
The gods even were afraid of the storm;
they retreated and took refuge in the heaven of Anu.
There the gods crouched down like dogs, on the inclosure of heaven they
sat cowering.

Then Ishtar cried out like a woman in travail,

and the lady of the gods lamented with a loud voice, (saying):
'The world of old has been turned back into clay,
because I assented to this evil in the assembly of the gods.
Alas! that when I assented to this evil in the council of the gods,
I was for the destruction of my own people.
What I have created, where is it?
Like the spawn of fish it fills the sea.'
The gods wailed with her over the Anunnaki.
The gods were bowed down, and sat there weeping,
Their lips were pressed together (in fear and in terror).
Six days and nights
The wind blew, and storm and tempest overwhelmed the country.
When the seventh day drew nigh the tempest, the storm, the battle
which they had waged like a great host began to moderate.

The dove flew hither and thither, but as there was no resting-place for her,
she returned.
Then I sent out a swallow, and let her go.
The swallow flew hither and thither,
but as there was no resting place for her she also returned.
Then I sent out a raven, and let her go.
The raven flew away and saw the abatement of the waters.
She settled down to feed, went away, and returned no more.
Then I let everything go out unto the four winds, and I offered a sacrifice.
I poured out a libation upon the peak of the mountain.
I placed the censers seven and seven,
and poured into them calamus, cedar-wood, and sweet-incense.
The gods smelt the savour;
yea, the gods smelt the sweet savour;
the gods gathered like flies around the sacrificer.

The sea quieted down; hurricane and storm ceased.

I looked out upon the sea and raised loud my voice,
But all mankind had turned back into clay.
Like the surrounding field had become the bed of the rivers.
I opened the air-hole and light fell upon my cheek.
Dumfounded I sank backward, and sat weeping,
while over my cheek flowed the tears,
I looked in every direction, and behold, all was sea.
Now, after twelve (days?) there rose (out of the water) a strip of land.
To Mount Nisir the ship drifted.
On Mount Nisir the boat stuck fast and it did not slip away.
The first day, the second day, Mount Nisir held the ship fast, and did not let
it slip away.
The third day, the fourth day, Mount Nisir held the ship fast, and did not let
it slip away.
The fifth day, the sixth day, Mount Nisir held the ship fast, and did not let it
slip away.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What are the main features of the flood story?
2. What does the story mean? What values was it meant to impress on the
audience?
3. What religious beliefs does The Gilgarnesh Epic Express? What is the
nature of divinity? Of evil? What is the relationship of humans to the
gods?

When the seventh day drew nigh I sent out a dove, and let her go.